Skincare Haul (Giveaway Win)

 (L-R)  Natural Empathy Beautifully British Luxury Hand and Body Lotion,  Pai Camelia and Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser, Suti Peppermint Water Organic Facial Toner, Spirit of Beauty Dancing Orchid Skin Balancing Moisturiser.

 (L-R) Viridian Ultimate Beauty Complex, Deborah Mitchell Heaven Bee Venom Mask

I was recently lucky enough to win a fantastic skincare giveaway held by the lovely Product Pixie (go and check out her beautiful blog by clicking on the link if you haven't already). The prize was a selection of six top British products from Nutribeauty, all full-size, and I was thrilled to bits to receive them in the post, especially since I had just run out of my beloved Liz Earle skincare products and was in the mood to try something new. I'll always go back to Liz, but being a beauty blogger, I do feel the urge to experiment from time to time, and it's just as well I do as it's the only way to find wonderful new products.

I received: 

• Natural Empathy Beautifully British Luxury Hand and Body Lotion,
•  Pai Camellia and Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser 
• Suti Peppermint Water Organic Facial Toner  
• Spirit of Beauty Dancing Orchid Skin Balancing Moisturiser
• Viridian Ultimate Beauty Complex 
• Deborah Mitchell Heaven Bee Venom Mask

So, as you can see, I've got pretty much everything I need to take care of my skin. 

The Pai Cleanser is quite similar to Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish in that you apply it to your skin and then 'polish' it off, using a warm, damp muslin cloth, so I instantly loved the idea of this product. I have used it a few times now and am really enjoying it, so keep your eyes peeled (yuck, I hate that expression) for a full review in the near future. 

The Suti facial toner is another product that has instantly won favour with me. It comes in a spray bottle, ready to spritz over your face after cleansing, or throughout the day as a refresher where needed. The peppermint scent is really invigorating, but I also find it really relaxing to use before bed.

The product I am the most excited  (and also a little bit scared) about using is definitely the Deborah Mitchell Heaven Bee Venom Mask, of which Camilla  Parker-Bowles (do we still call her that?) is supposedly a huge fan. Now, I'm not exactly eager to replicate Camilla's look, but this mask is, apparently, nature's answer to botox. It contains a tiny amount of bee venom, which when applied to the skin sets off a reaction that causes the skin to regenerate and repair itself, presumably under the impression that it has been stung. I can't say I'm hugely enthralled by the prospect of allowing venom anywhere near my skin, nor am I of an age at which I might require botox (and even if I was, I doubt I would be having any), but I am definitely going to be trying this product out regardless - the amount of venom it contains is very small and therefore safe, and who doesn't need a bit of help in the anti-aging department, whatever their age?

I shall be reviewing all of these products in full just as soon as I feel that I have trialled them for a sufficient amount of time, so if you are interested in trying any of them out then do pop back and have a look.

Have you tried any of these products?

What are your favourite skincare products and brands at the moment?

xx

Mac: Heavenly Creatures Collection

Mac's beautiful out-of-this-world  Heavenly Creatures Collection, inspired by outer space, hits the shops this month, and having seen these stunning promotional pictures, I have to admit I'm really excited about it.  Why not explore a galaxy far, far away with stunning Mineralise Skinfinishes and eyeshadows, and let the marbled blushes and bronzers take you on a tour of the solar system? Sounds good to me.

Mac says: Discover a whole new, gorgeous galaxy of supernova shades. On the surface they look marbleized, but on the skin they blend for stunning celestial effects. The M·A·C Heavenly Creature colour collection features 4 Mineralize Skinfinishes and 4 Mineralize Blushes, orbited by 5 Lipsticks and 5 Cremesheen Glass.

Mineralise Skinfinish

• Earthshine: Tarnished bronze with gold pearl and pink reflects
• Star Wonder: Plummy-pink with multi-dimensional pearl
• Light Year: Pinky-peach with gold shimmer
• Centre Of The Universe: Coral with gold shimmer.

Mineralize Blush

• Stratus: Amethyst and gold brown melange (frost)
• Solar Ray: Peach and gold melange (frost)
• Ring of Saturn: Terracotta and gold melange (frost)
• Supernova: Magenta and burnished gold melange (frost)

Mineralise Eyeshadow

• Aurora: Peach, green, brown melange
• Bright Moon: Grey, silver, icy-green melange
• Earthly: Beige, peach, cool brown melange
• Invincible Light: Icy white, lavender, warm gold melange
• Magnetic Attraction: Orange, pink, gold melange
• Neo Nebula: Cream, warm amethyst, warm pink melange
• Sky: green-gold, turquoise, cobalt melange
• Universal Appeal: Gold, bronze, violet melange
• Water: Yellow, lime green, blue melange

Skincare

• Mineralize Charged Water Cleanser
• Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator
• Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel
• Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Eye Cream

Lipsticks

• Pleasure-seeker: Creamy peach (Glaze)
• Venus: Sheer yellow pink with pearlised pigments (Lustre)
• Cusp of Dawn: Beige Pink (Lustre)
• Cut A Caper: Mid-tone peach pink (Lustre)
• Fire Sign: Red pink (Lustre)

Cremesheen Glass

• Astral: Bright yellow pink
• Celestial Kiss: Pale cool peach
• Galaxy Rose: Mid-tone violet pink
• Meteoric: Mid-tone vibrant coral
• Strictly Plutonic: Mid-tone pink brown

Personally, I'm pretty blown away by the gorgeous selection of marbleized eyeshadows. I'm not usually one for purchasing individual eyeshadows, as I find that I am too indecisive and am constantly changing my mind about what shades I want to wear, plus I like to have palettes of complementary shades as I just find it a lot more practical when it comes to application. But I'm definitely willing to make an exception for these little beauties, particularly Earthly, Invincible Light and Magnetic Attraction.

But what has really drawn me into this collection is undoubtedly the beautiful selection of blushes and skinfinishes. While I have found myself wearing eyeshadow less and less over the past few years, mostly saving it for nights out and special occasions,  blushes and bronzers are way up there on my most used makeuo products, and I just can't seem to get enough of them. Mac has become a particular favourite of mine for these, and I would happily snap up every last one of their skinfinishes, including these four gorgeous offerings. In terms of the blushes, they all look hugely appealing, but due to the marble-effect, I'm unsure which of these would be up my street as I'd need to swatch them to be able to decide. Luckily, I won't have to wait long to do so, so I will certainly keep you updated on which of these treasures come home with me!

I must admit, I'm not hugely excited by the lipsticks or glosses. I'm a huge fan of Mac lipsticks, but nothing about this little lot particularly jumps out at me, and none of the shades seem to be anything hugely different from those available in the main range.

I'm quite intrigued by the skincare range though, as I have never tried anythng of that sort from Mac. I don't think I'll be purchasing any at the moment, however, as I have just ordered some Caudalie products to try out, as well as still having my trusty Liz Earle favourites, which I use every day.

Does anything catch your eye from this collection? If so, which pieces do you think will end up sneaking their way into  your shopping bag when you're not looking?

Hope everyone has enjoyed their Saturday!

xx